The House this afternoon is set to begin debate on the fiscal 1999 Kosovo/disaster relief supplemental appropriations bill, after the $15 billion measure cleared the Rules Committee Monday evening.
Today's debate is expected to begin at some point after 5 p.m. After the late-night power struggles that marked last week's conference committee meetings on the FY99 supplemental spending bill, the Rules Committee meeting on the measure was decidedly anticlimactic: As expected, the panel adopted a rule providing for one hour of debate on the rule and another hour of general debate on the conference report.
The legislation, of which about $1.9 billion is offset, would provide emergency funding for military and humanitarian operations in Kosovo, general defense readiness needs, including a $1.8 billion military pay raise and benefits package, and disaster aid for hurricane victims in Central America and tornado victims in the Midwest. Also included is $574 million in assistance, including loan guarantee money, for U.S. farmers.
Although expected to pass the House and get to the Senate floor Wednesday or Thursday, most members' support for the pricey package is grudging at best. Many Democrats are distressed over the environmental riders and cuts to domestic programs, as well as the substantial sums appropriated for defense accounts.
Fiscal conservatives, on the other hand, bemoan the fact that most of the bill is not paid for, and therefore will come out of the surplus in the Social Security trust fund.
But after Monday's Rules Committee meeting, House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., was optimistic.
"We may have some trouble," Young told reporters, "but I'm satisfied the House is going to pass it. And I'm convinced the President will sign it."
Despite the scrutiny the supplemental has undergone, at least one provision unrelated to the Kosovo operation or disaster relief went unnoticed until the conference report was released Monday.
As adopted by conferees, the report includes language to increase funding for the offices of the House minority leader, majority whip, chief deputy majority whips and chief deputy minority whips.
Specifically, the measure would increase the total amount authorized to be appropriated annually, beginning in FY2000, to the offices of House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., and Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, by $333,000 each.
A DeLay aide said the whip's office requested the increase to make up for funding cuts made in the office's budget when the Republicans assumed control of the House in 1995.
A Gephardt aide said the Democratic leader sought more money in large part to cover the costs of the assistant to the minority leader position created at the beginning of this Congress, and filled by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who had lost her bid to chair the Democratic Caucus.
The report also would make effective upon enactment an additional $25,000 each from existing funds for the chief deputy whip offices of both parties.
In addition, all House leadership offices would be permitted to transfer any of their annual appropriated amounts among their various office spending accounts.